title: Efficacy of crosslinking on tailoring in vivo biodegradability of fibro-porous decellularized extracellular matrix and restoration of native tissue structure: a quantitative study using stereology methods.
abstract: Cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix (CEM) is a fibro-porous decellularized serosal layer of porcine gall-bladder. CEM loses 90% of its weight at 48 h of in vitro collagenase digestion, but takes two months to be completely resorbed in vivo. Carbodiimide (EDC) crosslinking helps tailoring CEM's in vitro collagenase susceptibility. Here, the efficacy of EDC crosslinking on tailoring in vivo biodegradability of CEM is reported. CEM crosslinked with 0.0005 and 0.0033 × 10(3) M of EDC/mg that lose 80% and 0% of their weight respectively to in vitro collagenase digestion, were present even after 180 days in vivo. Quantitative histopathology using stereology methods confirmed our qualitative observation that even a tiny degree of crosslinking can significantly prolong the rate of in vivo degradation and removal of CEM.
authors.affiliation: Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB), National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland; Brunel Institute for Bioengineering, Brunel University, Uxbridge, London, UK.
authors.forename: Krishna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burugapalli
authors.forename: Jeffrey C Y
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Abhay S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Pandit
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002234:Carbodiimides / Q000737:chemistry*; D017364:Collagenases / Q000378:metabolism; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000737:chemistry*; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D016062:Porosity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D002234:Carbodiimides; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D017364:Collagenases
keywords: biodegradation; cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix; crosslinking; stereology; tissue-implant interactions